Name of Advisor
Lesli Douglass
Destination
Scotland
Accommodations and/or DMC/On Site
Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland
How to get to
We flew American Airlines/British Airways, connecting in London before heading onto Edinburgh.
Arrived into the fabulous Terminal 5 in Heathrow for our London connection and if you do this, grab a seat at the Fortnum & Mason's bar on the lower level for beautifully cooked scrambled eggs, toasted crumpets, a proper pot of breakfast tea complete with starched linen napkins and silverware. Or go for champagne and oysters! It's a wonderful way to begin your British Invasion.
Recommended For (families, couples, corporate, celebrations, etc)
Families, couples, celebrations, corporate--can't think of a single person who wouldn't love to come to Gleneagles!
Not-to-be-Missed Experience or Activity
Afternoon tea in the Glendevon--currently a Beatrix Potter themed tea due to Ms. Potter having spent many of her summers in Perthshire, where Gleneagles is located. A truly refined way to spend an afternoon in a beautiful dining room with views out onto the mountains in the distance across the Gleneagles lawn.
Fly fishing on property with expert guides that make even a beginner victorious, netting a rainbow or brown trout!
If you have a golfer in your group, book a tee time on the King's Course, which seems to be the crowd favorite (there are three courses on property).
Favorite culinary aspect of the hotel or region
This sounds simple but...the bread. And the butter that goes on the bread--cows must just be cut from a different cloth in Scotland. Thick-cut, grainy, sourdough bread toasted and smeared with the richest creamery butter. You could almost make a meal out of it.
Can't leave out the whiskey. The Scots are serious about it and this is a can't miss aspect of the region with several distilleries that offer tours complete with tasting flights and "make your own bottle" to take home. Glenturret is Scotland's oldest working distillery and the closest to Gleneagles. It has a fantastic tour and tasting flight in addition to having a Michelin-starred restaurant on site where you can book for dinner (if you plan ahead--it books up quickly)!
Favorite Wellness aspect of the hotel or region
Gleneagles has a fabulous spa with quiet lounging areas, both co-ed and ladies only. They have a low-light quiet room with individual beds equipped with reading lights and giant, thick duvets to nestle down in. Heavenly. I can highly recommend the Barbara Strum Glow facial!
Favorite amenity
The breakfast buffet is truly an experience and with Virtuoso, it was complimentary--there were probably 8-10 stations with every kind of offering you could imagine. There were even low-height tables set up for children with flavored milks available in old fashioned bottles.
If you don't want the buffet, they offer several items off the menu including my personal favorite, creamy oats porridge made topped with Scottish raspberries. Comfort on a spoon!
Kudos to: *refers to a guide, chef, member of hotel team, etc. that went out of their way
George, our fly fishing guide, was a family favorite. He was such a good teacher and thrilled for us when we caught fish and we loved listening to him talk--the best accent.
Sandy, our driver from Edinburgh--I mentioned to Sandy that my husband and son were Arsenal fans and thanks to Sandy's up-to-the-minute knowledge of football schedules, he informed us Arsenal had added a home game later in the week that we were able to get tickets for! Thank you, Sandy!
Didn't catch names but there were two gentlemen waiting on us in the Century Bar and fulfilled a special dessert request for us, even though they don't serve food there in the evenings. It made our night!
I cannot recall her last name but I believe it was Jennifer--possibly in a managing role both at Glendevon and at The Strathearn for breakfast one morning. She went over and above, making sure we had everything we needed and seating us at the best tables. Thank you, Jennifer!
Additional Remarks
I sent two blouses away to be laundered and they were returned the same day, pressed to perfection, hanging in a nice green, reusable hanging bag and smelling lovely! It's the little things!!
Could not find fault with a single staff person at this hotel. They were ALL so gracious and eager to serve. We would return in a heartbeat!
Please list the Virtuoso amenities and any other special touches they add for our clients
Thanks to Virtuoso, we had complimentary breakfasts--which you can also have served to you in your room if you prefer! Early check-in, late check-out, upgrades when available, property credit per room and a lovely sampling of treats waiting for us in our room--including something called "tablet" which they also sell in the gift shop. Delicious. Kind of like crystallized caramel in little squares. Mmm.
To plan a trip, contact lesli@travellustre.com